In 2022, no small business that wishes to stay competitive has the option of overlooking social media. The web’s most popular social platforms not only provide businesses with effective vehicles for building brand awareness, they can also prove conducive to improved customer communication. Since many people reach out to their favorite businesses through social media, it stands to reason that your enterprise receives a fair number of questions, concerns and comments through its various accounts. Small business owners looking to enhance customer communication through social media can benefit from the following measures.
Actively Encourage Follower Feedback
People like knowing that their input matters to their favorite brands and businesses. This makes consumers feel more personally invested in the success of these enterprises and therefore more likely to continue supporting them well into the future. So, if you’re looking to foster this level of customer loyalty, you’d be wise to actively encourage follower feedback on social media.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to go about this. For example, encouraging followers to share images of themselves enjoying your products and/or services can be a great way to make consumers feel involved and earn your business some free publicity. If any of these individuals have massive followings, quite a few new people are likely to become aware of your business.
If you’re looking for more straightforward feedback, simply request that followers share their thoughts and opinions on assorted services and business practices in your posts. In addition to thanking respondents for their input, make a point of providing them with individual responses, as this will confirm that their statements have been read. Additionally, keep in mind that not all feedback is going to be positive, and you’re going to read some opinions with which you disagree. However, instead of instantly going on the defensive, thank these individuals for their feedback and consider ways your business stands to grow from it.
Maintain an Air of Composure
As stated above, you’re not going to agree with every piece of feedback you receive via social media. When faced with criticisms you find unfair or unwarranted, the temptation to unload on the people who leveled them can be very strong. After all, you may feel as if they’re maligning your business in a public forum. However, attempting to argue with your critics on social media is a bad idea for a number of reasons.
For one thing, it’s liable to make you appear petty and thin-skinned in the eyes of your followers. Secondly, it will disincentivize people to openly share their thoughts and opinions with you in the future and create the impression that your feedback requests are nothing but an ego trip. Lastly, by responding in a brash, overly-defensive manner, you may be giving your detractors exactly what they want. As anyone who’s spent a fair amount of time on social media can attest, some people revel in creating conflict and goading other accounts into arguments.
Respond to Feedback in a Timely Manner
As is the case when dealing with other forms of customer communication, it’s important to respond to social media communiques in a timely and professional manner. This will illustrate that you’re actively engaged with your followers and appreciative of the feedback they offer. So, whenever you receive an important question or comment through one of your social media accounts, make an effort to respond in the timeliest possible manner – especially if it’s received during normal business hours.
In your responses, make sure to provide followers with other ways to stay abreast of what’s happening with your business. For example, anyone who provides you with their phone number will be able to receive updates via text. Needless to say, good mass texting software can prove very helpful in this endeavor.
Social media is an essential marketing tool for every small business that wishes to remain relevant in the digital age. So, if your business has yet to develop a solid social media strategy, now would be the time to get on board. In addition to helping you keep your audience up to date with the latest developments within your business, the web’s most popular social platforms can function as convenient customer communication tools. Business owners looking for effective ways to touch base with both current and prospective patrons are encouraged to remember the tips outlined above.
